Lord Infamous, founding member of the legendary Three 6 Mafia, died from a heart attack on Friday evening (Dec. 20). He was 40 years old.
According to The Hollywood Reporter (THR), the rapper (real name: Ricky Dunigan) passed away during a visit to his mother’s Memphis home. His mother had left the home, returning returning several hours later to find him dead.
“He passed away in his sleep from a heart attack,” his half-brother/Three 6 Mafia member, DJ Paul, told THR. “He said he was tired, he wanted to sleep. He sat down at the kitchen table, put his head in his arms to lay down … to get some sleep.
“He’ll be remembered as a legend, everybody knew him as a legend, an icon,” he continued. “This year was going to make our 24th year in rapping together. His music, our music that we made together, was truly before its time.”
Other Three 6 Mafia members chimed in on Twitter. “R.I.P. lord Infamous,” tweeted Juicy J, while Gangsta Boo added, “Rest in Peace Lord Infamous please respect the family and dear friends during this traged. I will never forget the shows we rocked together . My heart is in pieces.”